


Stuck in Place

by Sherwhotreksings



Series: Holding You Closer [3]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:52:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3255632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherwhotreksings/pseuds/Sherwhotreksings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place during and after Harvest Festival (3x7). Ben has one thing on his mind and it's the one thing he can't have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of this story Camping Trip (3x8) does not happen, or happens at a later time like after Ben accepts the job.

He is totally and fully enamored with Leslie Knope. He finds her obsession with Lil' Sebastian, while being completely absurd, to be quite adorable. Her take charge attitude with the harvest festival is inspiring to watch and he has to admit, it turns him on. It's a weird thought, Leslie Knope turning him on, someone who was once his enemy has now become something more.

_He is in too deep._

Before he was content just being near her, at most being close enough to feel the heat radiating off her body, but over the last few weeks it has slowly escalated to ‘accidentally’ brushing into her, wanting to know what her arm feels like against his; to feel how her hand fits in his. He desperately wants to run his hand through her blonde hair and tangle his fingers in it.

_This has to stop._

He is leaving Pawnee after the harvest festival, which is happening tonight. He is leaving in two days. He will never see Leslie again after two days. He just has to control his feelings until then. He can handle that.

 

_Two Days......_

_He can't handle that..._

 

 

His surprise towards the media skyrockets when they claim the harvest festival is cursed. The animation with the flames and chanting they play is absurd and completely untrue. Leslie would have told him if that had actually happened. He feels bad for being thankful for the curse because it gives him some distraction from his Leslie problem. He is worried it’ll affect her; she gets so easily stressed out.

Leslie, however, isn’t stressed at all. She takes it all in stride and even tells him that nothing will stop this harvest party. He certainly hopes it’s true and she reassures him with their now, not-so-secret, handshake to the rest of the parks department. For the last few days he was happy keeping it between them, a special thing for only them, but now he supposes it’s better everyone knows. It’ll keep him honest and that way no one can think there is something between them.

He really wishes there was.

_He can’t… two days._

He gets a little carried away from being nervous and adds some bazooka shots. Her reaction is priceless and a smile spreads across his face. She laughs and it makes him high.

"Get a room!" Tom says very disgustedly.

Ben gets serious, he shouldn't get a room with Leslie, the more things he does in public, the better.

“So everybody, gather ‘round. Lets hold hands.”

He feels like time stops and all he can think about is how good her hand finally feels in his. This is a problem.

_Two more days, Wyatt, two more days._

He isn't sure why he thinks that as soon as he leaves, as soon as he goes back to Indy, Leslie will be off his mind, but that's what he clings to. Out of sight, out of mind.

He buys her a cotton candy as soon as they are both free, just to watch her lips pull off small pieces of the sugar. She offers him some, but he declines. She makes a small fuss and after some persistent lip smacking and proclaiming of how delicious it is from her, he gives in. She licks her lips, swiping sugar off and two thoughts follow her tongue.

_Gosh is she gorgeous._

_Two more days._

They should’ve knocked on wood.

So many things go wrong in the time it takes for him to buy the cotton candy and for her to eat it. L’il Sebastian gets loose, the tv interview goes bad; Leslie panics. Being the media, and him being Ben Wyatt “the town bankrupter,” they blame everything on him. They say it’s just a scheme to ruin other towns. They check to see how many towns have gone bankrupt after he comes through and audits them. It really isn’t his fault they have to be absorbed into surrounding towns, he was only there in the first place because they were in so much trouble. It all presses down on him and he’s afraid of what might happen.

_Bad luck. Must leave. My fault._

It's his fault Leslie is stressing out so much. He is going to bankrupt this town and leave her without a job. Good thing he's only here for two more days. The festival loses power and it gives him a chance to escape, hopefully giving the festival a chance to work without him. Her face falls when he goes and he isn't sure which is worse, ruining her perfect festival or hurting her so much by thinking it's his fault. A little voice nags at him that he is just running away.

Back at his hotel, he flips through the TV channels. He is trying to find something that isn’t covering his life or the harvest festival, the only station being a weird infomercial trying to sell some sort of do it yourself soda/hamburger maker, but the crappy TV doesn’t get anything but local channels. He switches it off and gets out his iPod, laying down on the bed and closing his eyes. He presses play, but can’t settle on a song. They all remind him of her. He switches playlists after realizing he was listening to his Leslie mix. Old rock and alternative music blasts at him through the headphones. He lets himself get lost in the melodies and lyrics, but even music can’t calm his anxiety and depression. He sits up and turns off the iPod after an hour exactly. Turning on the TV again, he tunes into the news channel he deems most reliable and watches the coverage of the harvest festival. Ken is on the main stage with Leslie and lifts the curse in some bizarre ancient Native American fashion. Almost immediately the power comes back on there, which has to be some sort of coincidence. He waits until after the festival officially starts before risking going over there.

~o~

She is standing at the entrance greeting people. She doesn't seem like the normal happy-go-lucky Leslie he knows. Her voice lacks the normal bounce and she isn’t waving as enthusiastically; that is, until he shows up. Her face lights up when she sees him and he has a sudden urge to kiss her, but one thing persists.

_Two more days, Wyatt._

They talk a little about his "curse" and she hugs him to make him feel better. It's their first hug and it's amazing to feel her body pressed against his. She pulls away but he wants her to never let go. He wishes he could plant his hands on her hips and keep her against him forever.

~o~

He manages to convince her to leave the gate after she has talked to close to entire population of Pawnee.

"Do you play fair games?" she asks him, bumping him with her shoulder.

"I am somewhat of an expert on playing carnival games." He grins and looks over at her.

_No, no, no, two more days. Stop, no._

"Win me a bear?"

"It would be my honor." He mock bows to her.

_Ah, crap._

He wins Leslie the bear in one game, which is his own personal record. As he hands her the prize she asks him the one question he wants to forget at this moment.

"You're going back to Indianapolis in two days?"

"Um.. yeah I guess I am."

"You have to?"

_Crap._

"Yes."

_Two more days._

This time it's met with sadness instead of comfort.

Their walk brings them to Lil' Sebastian's coral and she freaks out. He'll play along but he still doesn't understand why he's so popular, he's just a kind of small horse. They ride the ferris wheel after looking at the small horse until dark and Leslie points out all of her favorite spots and includes the history of each. Normally he'd be very bored but with her talking he could listen for hours, which he does because they ride it several times and then the generator goes out again when they're at the top.

Leslie starts shivering after a half hour. Ben takes off his jacket and gives it to her, but she protests profusely. She ends up putting it on, but is still cold. That's when his two more days mantra flies out the window. He wraps his arm around her and pulls her close. If Leslie Knope is cold, he will do everything possible to get her warm again. At first she is reluctant and stiff, but after five more minutes of shivering, she relaxes against him. Leaning her head on his chest. He puts his other arm around her also and rubs her arms vigorously. Another half hour and Leslie is completely warm, so is Ben. He wishes he could kiss her, but where would that take him?

It's midnight when they get everything working again.

_One more day..._


	2. Chapter 2

He wakes up with a jolt, reality hitting him smack in the face. This is it. The last full day he will spend with Leslie Knope. He drags his feet getting ready but realizes it will mean less time with her in the long run. From that point on he rushes to work, electing to skip breakfast even. The second he gets to work, he speeds to the parks department, but Chris accosts him.

"Ben Wyatt! Just the person I want to see. I have been offered a City Management job and I would like you to stay and work for me as my assistant city manager."

"I don't know..." He does know. He'd take this job for lesser pay and less benefits just to stay with Leslie longer.

"When does Indianapolis want you back?"

"I'll have to start packing today."

"I'll expect an answer by noon then."

Ben knows he will take the job, he just has to make sure Leslie wants him here too.

It's 15 past 10 by the time he actually mentions it to her.

_One hour, 45 minutes. He knows what he's going to do._

"Hey I was just coming to see you, I wanted your advice on something." He presses his mouth into a thin line.

"Oh yeah?" Leslie smiles at him.

"My boss back in Indianapolis wants me back on the road soon, like tomorrow."

Leslie raises her eyebrows, smile gone from her lips. He wishes he could kiss it back.

"But then this morning, Chris offered me a job to stay here in Pawnee, work for him."

Hope flashes onto her face, but then it's gone. Replaced by something more serious. "D'you wanna do that?" Her casual language does nothing to disguise the actual question.

_Would I want to stay here with you?_

"Well I dunno. I've been moving around so much the past few years, it might be nice to stay in one place for a while. What do you think?"

She's shocked, he can tell.

"Well this is a great city." There's hidden meaning in her words, maybe not one she implied, but one he picks up.

_You're here._

"You know it's definitely the best city in Indiana, probably America, possibly the world." She completely believes what she said.

_The city is the best because there's only one of you, and you live here._

"But on the other hand you've put in 12 years with the state government."

His face falls and he looks down to try and hide his disappointment that she's arguing the other side, the one to make him go, instead of the one to make him stay. "So you think I should say no to Chris?" He knows his eyes betray his sadness at her words.

She shakes her head once, like she can't believe what he just said. "It's a tough call. You know what I would do? You should make a pros and cons list. That always works for me."

The seriousness in their conversation is gone, replaced by a handshake and Leslie's bubbly personality. He is reduced to a handshake.

_One hour, 30 minutes. He has no clue._

She hold back tears as she hurries the opposite direction as Ben and he just nods his head. She was only saying that because she's selfless enough to put his career before her happiness. That has to be the reason. He can't bear to think that she said it because she actually doesn't care what he chooses. He makes the list.

Pros

Leslie  
staying with Chris  
Leslie  
friends  
Leslie  
owning a house (eventually)  
Leslie

Cons

less money  
small, very weird, town

_One hour, 10 minutes._

He decides to talk to Chris early.

~o~

At April and Andy's party Tom comes up to him while he's talking to Leslie and questions him about leaving. "I hear you might be leaving Pawnee?"

"Thinking about it." Really it's not fair to Leslie to not tell her what he decided, but he can always change his mind if she really has no interest.

April and Andy are getting married apparently. All it does is put his insides through hell because he can only think of Leslie. All through the ceremony he stares at the back of her head. When Leslie walks out of their house he changes his mind, tomorrow morning he'll tell Chris he can't take the job after all. He doesn't notice when she sneaks back into the house before the speeches. He doesn't notice when she grins at him when Andy says everyone should do what makes them happy. He does notice her when she ends up on the dance floor and all he wants to do is slow dance with her. He does notice her when she's standing all by herself.

"Hey.." Taking to her right now is the most painful thing in the world. He can't even look at her.

"You should stay."

He has to look at her, he can't have heard that right.

"Don't go back to Indianapolis. You should stay here." She finally looks at him, hope once again on her face.

"You think?"

It isn't fair he hasn't told her yet.

"Yeah." Then as if yeah wasn't convincing enough, like adding one more affirmative will change anything, "Yes. It's a great city here, and there are great people, and you've made a lot of friends." She shrugs like it isn't a big deal. "And what are you going to do? You go back to your old job and hack up people's budgets?" She laughs.

He exhales a laugh through his nose, she really wants him to stay.

"Stay here. Help us build something-"

He can't let her continue panicking in her wordy way. "I already accepted the job."

Her smile could light up the earth.

"I'm staying here."

"That's good!"

"Yeah I think so." He is just about to take a step closer, maybe grab her hand, or brush her arm, touch her in some way, but the moment is ruined by Orin.

He backs up slowly and she tells him to run, so he does... right into the door. Her hand run the length of his torso and he has to fight a shiver as she grabs onto his arm and laughs.

Her laugh could fuel the sun.


End file.
